Grave Gamer News & Views — playstation

So something rather intriguing happened this week.  It would appear this new fangled “next-gen” officially kicked off.  Well, unless you count the Wii U next-gen, which you’re completely allowed to (inversely, I get to call you wrong).  That’s right, Sony finally ripped off the wraps on the PlayStation 4.  Fast, socially integrated, the ability to stream games, two separate cup-holders – Sony’s future proofing their brand and the attempt is, surprisingly, not a laughable disaster.

You can find my initial reaction to the hardware’s specs hereabouts, but we’re dialing back the technophilia today and also focusing on something more important than even a brand new, highfalutin’, Facebookin’ console: the games.

Hit the jump to check out what’s in store for gamers next generation; a generation right around the corner.  Oh, and welcome back to the Roundup.

Sony America Dumps PlayStation All-Stars Dev; Break Up Apparently Amicable

With neither party offering up much insight into the decision, both SCEA and SuperBot Entertainment have formally announced the end of their working relationship; a partnering that resulted in last Fall’s over-named, license bloated online fighter, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

With PS3 version currently sitting on a critical reception of 74 on Metacritic (its Vita counterpart not far off with a 75), PS All-Stars actually fared pretty well for a game most wrote off as a Smash Bros. clone.  But, considering most major publishers’ open disappointment with scores below the coveted 80 paired with the game’s middling sales performance (not to mention a below-room-temp public reception), Sony’s abandonment of SuperBot starts to make sense from a dry, business perspective.

Instead of venomous accusations and endless finger pointing, it’s the high road for SuperBot.  “We are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Sony on Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, and are extremely proud of the work we have done.”

Though they may have gained the most exposure with Sony, the studio began independently in 2009 and intends to keep trucking onto “the next chapter” of their journey.  “SuperBot Entertainment will continue working on projects that reflect our passion for games and our commitment to creating award winning titles,” said the developer.

Recently having to suffer through layoffs, SuperBot says there is no further reduction plan in place but admits it is unlikely the studio can persist with its current workforce for very long.

Meanwhile, PlayStation All-Stars will see continued support from Sony’s Santa Monica Studios, including the upcoming release of character DLC meant to bolster the game’s roster.

Sony Teases the “Future of PlayStation”

Suddenly and all at once Sony’s hype machine tossed up a teaser across every major social sphere on the internet.  All signs guided us to one site and a trailer fancy as it is cryptic.

The site’s address contains the phrase “meeting2013,” which apparently refers to a press junket being held in New York at the date and time up above.  “What’s all this cloak and dagger shenanigans really about?” you may be astutely wondering.  Well, “The Future of PlayStation,” but of course, and that’s as much as Sony is putting on the record for now.

Mighty big coincidink that educated guesses and above-whisper-level rumor mongering have been pointing to a PS4 reveal in the early part of 2013.  Though, me and the rest of the internet seem to recall Sony’s Prez Kaz Harai was more than happy to allow rival Microsoft to reveal their own next-gen competitor first (“Why go first when your competitors can look at your specifications and come up with something better?” said Harai, methodically folding his hands behind his head while a sinister, all-too-knowing grin spilled across his face).

Check back in when we find out what the hell all the fuss is about on Feb. 20th.

Fresh off the heels of the supposed FCC leak of a new slimmer and sleaker PS3, these images have surfaced on Tecnoblog.  Seemingly taken from the Brazilian equivalent to the FCC, this just might be our first, muddy glimpse at the Super Slim.

The documents also appear to reveal the three different hard drive sizes Sony intends on dishing out to the public: the 250GB model, a 500GB successor, and a 16GB economy model that seems to serve the same function as the bottom-tier 4GB Xbox 360’s Microsoft banks off of.  The future is looking slim (er, in a good way, I guess).

Sony Revising the PS3 Again to Create the ‘Super Slim’?

Have you ever looked at your Slim line PS3 – which, by the way, was reduced 32% in size from the original models – and thought to yourself, “Look at how much room this bastard takes up.  I can’t fucking live like this”?  Well, your obscene prayers may soon be answered.

Documents recently filed with the FCC strongly hint at the console manufacturer’s plans to release an even teensier model of the PlayStation 3 dubbed by the media the “Super Slim”.  Throughout the documents the remodeled system is simply referred to by its model number, CECH-4001x (the last run of PS3’s, the 160GB and 320GB, are apart of the 3000 series).  It’s suggested the 'x’ in '4001x’ is in place of how big the Super Slim’s hard drive will end up being, possibly hinting at larger storage sizes to come.

For as long as we’ve been hearing murmurs of a slimmer Slim, I’d be surprised to not see this one come into fruition.  According to Eurogamer, just as the first Slim was introduced at 2010’s German show Gamescom, it’s believed we’ll see this extraordinarily slim Slim introduced at next month’s 2012 expo.

Personally, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the size of my Slim.  But now that I know there’s something smaller, I understand how wrong I’ve been to own something so huge and gaudy.  I’ll get on fixing that right after I get that bigger 3DS.